Bulk Standards for Buildings Over 90 Feet in Height
San Diego Municipal Code § 131.0717
in effect§131.0717 Bulk Standards for Buildings Over 90 Feet in Height
For purposes of Section 131.0717, bulk and scale are divided into the two main areas of the building base and the tower. Buildings over 90 feet in height shall adhere to the following requirements:
(a) For the purposes of this Section, building base means the structural envelope located immediately above existing grade, proposed grade, or a basement. The maximum lot coverage for the building base shall be 100 percent. The maximum height of the building base shall be 90 feet.
(b) The minimum height of the street wall shall be 30 feet.
(c) A street wall shall be provided for 70 percent of the building frontage along the public right-of-way, with the following exceptions, which may be subtracted from the length of the frontage:
(1) Publicly or privately-owned plazas;
(2) Courtyard entrances up to 30 feet wide for residential uses;
(3) Recessed entrances up to a maximum of 25 feet in width and a maximum of 15 feet in depth. These may include an entry into an interior accessway for vehicles and pedestrians or vehicle or passenger drop-off area, which may be located behind the required street wall; and
(4) Areas where the existing grade of the public right-of-way differs from the building pad grade by more than two feet, as measured vertically from the building pad grade to the existing grade of the public right of-way.
(d) For the purposes of this Section, tower means the structural envelope located immediately above the building base to the top of the building.
(1) The maximum lot coverage of the tower shall be 75 percent.
(2) Within a single development, towers shall be separated by a minimum of 50 feet.
(“Bulk Standards for Buildings Over 90 Feet in Height” added 9-12-2019 by O-21118 N.S.; effective 10-12-2019.) (Amended 6-15-2026 by O-22109 N.S.; effective 7-15-2026.)
[Editors Note: Amendments as adopted by O-22109 N.S. will not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies it as a Local Coastal Program Amendment. Click the link to view the Strikeout Ordinance highlighting changes to prior language http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode_strikeout_ord/O-22109-SO.pdf ]
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter13/Ch13Art01Division07.pdf#page=25Fetched: 10/28/2026